Air-conditioning apparatus

Abstract

A cooling device includes a cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between a heat medium and a cooling refrigerant that flows in a cooling refrigerant circuit. A heating device includes a heating-side intermediate heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between the heat medium and heating refrigerant that flows in a heating refrigerant circuit. The cooling device and the heating device are connected in series in a heat-medium circulation circuit in which the heat medium circulates.

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising a cooling device; a heating device; and a heat-medium circulation circuit in which a heat medium circulates,
 wherein the cooling device includes
 a cooling refrigerant circuit in which cooling refrigerant circulates, and 
 a cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the cooling refrigerant that flows in the cooling refrigerant circuit and the heat medium, and also configured to operate as a condenser in the cooling refrigerant circuit, 
   wherein the heating device includes
 a heating refrigerant circuit in which heating refrigerant circulates, and 
 a heating-side intermediate heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the heat medium and the heating refrigerant that flows in the heating refrigerant circuit, and also configured to operate as an evaporator in the heating refrigerant circuit, and 
   wherein the cooling device and the heating device are connected in series in the heat-medium circulation circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cooling device further includes a cooling-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve connected to an inflow side of the cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger, and configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium that flows into the cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger, and   the heating device further includes a heating-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve connected to an inflow side of the heating-side intermediate heat exchanger, and configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium that flows into the heating-side intermediate heat exchanger.   
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a controller configured to control an opening degree of the cooling-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve and an opening degree of the heating-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve based on performance required for the cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger and performance required for the heating-side intermediate heat exchanger, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the cooling-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve has an inflow port through which the heat medium flows into the cooling-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve, and a plurality of outflow ports through which the heat medium flows out of the heat-medium flow adjusting valve at the adjusted flow rate, and   the cooling device further includes a cooling-side bypass pipe connected with at least one of the plurality of outflow ports and extending to bypass the cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger.   
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the heating-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve has an inflow port through which the heat medium flows into the heating-side heat-medium flow adjusting valve, and a plurality of outflow ports through which the heat medium flows out of the heat-medium flow adjusting valve at the adjusted flow rate, and   the heating device further includes a heating-side bypass pipe connected with at least one of the plurality of outflow ports and extending to bypass the heating-side intermediate heat exchanger.   
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling device further includes a cooling-side auxiliary heat exchanger connected in series to the cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger in the cooling refrigerant circuit. 
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein
 the cooling device further includes a cooling-side auxiliary bypass pipe that extends to bypass the cooling-side auxiliary heat exchanger, and   the cooling-side auxiliary heat exchanger is provided upstream of the cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger.   
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the cooling-side auxiliary heat exchanger is provided downstream of the cooling-side intermediate heat exchanger. 
     
     
         9 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heating device further includes a heating-side auxiliary heat exchanger connected in series to the heating-side intermediate heat exchanger in the heating refrigerant circuit. 
     
     
         10 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein
 the heating device further includes a heating-side auxiliary bypass pipe that extends to bypass the heating-side auxiliary heat exchanger, and   the heating-side auxiliary heat exchanger is provided upstream of the heating-side intermediate heat exchanger.   
     
     
         11 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the heating-side auxiliary heat exchanger is provided downstream of the heating-side intermediate heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 an outdoor unit including a compressor and a heat-source-side heat exchanger, an intermediate heat exchanger, and an expansion valve are connected, thereby forming a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates, and   the intermediate heat exchanger causes heat exchange to be performed between the refrigerant and the heat medium.   
     
     
         13 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of indoor units each of which includes an indoor-side heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the heat medium and air,
 wherein an indoor unit system in which the plurality of indoor units are connected in series is connected parallel to a device system in which the cooling device and the heating device are connected in series.   
     
     
         14 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein
 each of the plurality of indoor units further includes a heat-medium flow adjusting valve connected to an inflow side of the indoor-side heat exchanger and configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium that flows into the indoor-side heat exchanger.   
     
     
         15 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein
 the heat-medium flow adjusting valve has an inflow port through which the heat medium flows into the heat-medium flow adjusting valve, and a plurality of outflow ports through which the heat medium flows out of the heat-medium flow adjusting valve at the adjusted flow rate, and   the each indoor unit further includes an indoor-side bypass pipe connected with at least any one of the plurality of outflow ports and extending to bypass the indoor-side heat exchanger.   
     
     
         16 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a controller configured to control a load on the outdoor unit based on operating states of the plurality of indoor units, a temperature of the heat medium that flows into the device system, and a temperature of the heat medium that flows out of the device system. 
     
     
         17 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein
 when the plurality of indoor units are in heating operation and an inlet temperature of the heat medium that flows into the device system is higher than an outlet temperature of the heat medium that flows out of the device system, or when the plurality of indoor units are in cooling operation and the outlet temperature is higher than or equal to the inlet temperature, the controller performs a control of increasing the load on the outdoor unit, and   when the plurality of indoor units are in heating operation and the outlet temperature is higher than or equal to the inlet temperature, or when the plurality of indoor units are in cooling operation and the inlet temperature is higher than the outlet temperature, the controller performs a control of reducing the load on the outdoor unit.   
     
     
         18 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 12 , comprising a plurality of indoor units each of which includes an indoor-side heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the heat medium and air,
 wherein an indoor unit system in which the plurality of indoor units are connected in series is connected parallel to a device system in which the cooling device and the heating device are connected in series.